A Bad Case of Hero Worship
by Shugendo Rites
Summary: Prompto's got the hots for a certain Glaive and doesn't know quite how to express it. Luckily, Nyx's always liked the idea of being pursued.
1. Chapter 1

It started with a brief lift in Noct's fancy car.

It was a ride that would mark Prompto's first real trip inside the Citadel. Noct would be paying a visit to his father. Whereas Prompto would be picking up his official Crownsguard gear, followed by attending a meeting headed by the Marshal.

It was mandatory for all new recruits, and Prompto had been anticipating it for _months_. The day had finally arrived, and all he could do was pace nervously as they waited for Ignis to arrive.

Noctis just rolled his eyes at his antics, and asked a few times if he'd be alright. Prompto just assured him that he was okay. And he was okay. Really. He could handle this.

But, he couldn't deny his relief on seeing the sleek black Audi drive up the road towards them. Without waiting for Noct, Prompto walked up to the driver's side door and knocked on the window. "Thanks for coming to pick us up, Iggy!"

The window rolled down, and Prompto physically recoiled as he saw the driver was not, in fact, Ignis.

Instead, it was Captain Titus Drautos of the _fucking Kingsglaive._

At his stare, Prompto took a few more steps back. Just in case.

"Drautos!" Noctis looked genuinely surprised to see the captain here. Which was good in its own way. Prompto didn't like to think that Noct or Ignis would set him up for that kind of prank.

Noctis walks up from behind, ignoring Prompto shriveling up beside him. "Borrowing the car again? Ignis must be busy." The captain's gaze flicked over to Noct, and Prompto was able to sigh in relief.

Drautos nodded as he stepped out of the car. He towered over the both of them, as impressive as he was impassive. "Scientia was held back at the meeting. There were a few more files he had to go over with the Marshal." As he spoke, he opened the back seat door, and ushered for Noct to enter.

As he passed Prompto, Noct grinned and pointed at the captain."Don't worry. He won't bite... while I'm around."

Prompto laughed awkwardly, only to see Drautos glaring at him now. It's not with the scorn he's used to seeing from officials, but he's definitely not impressed.

"Well?" The captain gestured towards the car. Get in!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Prompto nearly yelped, and hurriedly got inside.

* * *

The drive is initially a quiet one, with the two boys in the back simply admiring the passing scenery. Drautos seemed to favor driving with the radio off, a fact Prompto appreciated. He liked having the time to compose himself before reaching the Citadel.

Noct seemed pretty upbeat as well. Probably looking forward to seeing his old man, without the usual pomp and ceremony that surrounded such an event.

Despite focusing on the view outside, Prompto doesn't really pay attention to the roads they're taking. Until Noctis speaks up.

"Taking the scenic route? I thought you wanted to beat the traffic." He looked puzzled, and Prompto looked to see just what turn Drautos was making.

"We're just picking up your second escort." The captain replied curtly as he focused on the road. As he pulled up along the sidewalk, Prompto could see a lone Glaive walking amidst a throng of civilians. The man turned as he spotted the car's approach and...

 _Shit._ Prompto's fingers curled into nervous fists as he caught a look at the guy up close.

His hair almost reminded him of Gladio's, until he noted the braids lining his skull. Yeah, that was about where the resemblance ended. Gladio was all abs, while this guy was built more like a swimmer. Tall and lean, he moved with a lithe grace. Like the photos of every coeurl he'd ever seen.

"Nyx!" Noct raises a hand in greeting as the man enters the car, and Prompto hopes the other two don't notice him shrinking back into his seat.

As the Glaive turns his head to peer back at them, Prompto sees that what he's mistaken for a beauty mark is actually a tattoo under his left eye. Dark, inked lines run down his hands as well, disappearing under his fingerless gloves.

It makes him think about what other markings are lurking under that fabric.

 _Damn it._ _Not the time._

"Your Highness." Nyx, as he's called, nods towards them both. Then he's facing the windshield and Prompto is left to live in peace once more.

If Nyx is surprised to see the Crown prince already in the back, he doesn't show it. But then, he probably shouldn't be. This was Noct's car, and it wasn't the first time he'd loaned it, either. So the game of prince pickup was probably a recurring activity for Drautos, Cor, and several other higher ups among the Crownsguard.

 _If you're going to serve the king, you might as well be able to ride in style_ , Prompto supposed. Noct usually rode with Ignis anyway. And it beat being publicly escorted by an entire group, be it by Glaive or Crownsguard. An occurence that was often necessary for Noct, and something he always admitted to being embarrassed by.

Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't realize how close they are until he spots the unmistakable twin high rise of the Citadel. It lies ahead of them, towering over them more and more as they get closer. As a kid, Prompto had always been impressed by the structure. Now, it just seemed intimidating, and he has to remind himself that he'd been given all the clearance he could ever need to enter. It helps, just a little.

"Oh, not him." Noct said suddenly. Startled, Prompto peers out the window to see what he was looking at. A large man stood in front of the access gate leading to the Citadel. He was clearly the security detail, as he was decked out in the full black armor of a Lucian guardsman. With his arms folded, and a scowl pasted on his square jaw, he seemed a bigger impedement than the gate itself.

Noct groaned as he leaned back in his seat. "I thought he was off duty today!"

"A royal guard dog off the clock? Perish the thought." Nyx muttered, and Drautos shot him a dirty look.

Drautos didn't seem nervous as they drove up, though. When the captain let his window down, he met the guard's gaze head on. "Official business, Fortis. Let us pass."

The man barely blinked in response. "You know the rules, Captain. I'll need a written record of your entrance here."

Drautos just nodded, as the man rudely shoved a clipboard and a pen into his hands. The captain, to his credit, didn't react as he filled out the form before politely handing it back to the guardsman.

Petra studied the sheet, nodded and handed it to one of the men behind him. He then peered into the backseat. Prompto couldn't help it, he shrank back from the man's stare. Noctis on the other hand, just stared back, leaned forward and gave an obnoxious salute.

Petra just frowned and waved for them to pass. Finally, the gate lifted and the car was able to move forward.

Noct withdrew his phone, and began texting. Probably telling Iggy they would be at least a few minutes late. They drove on in silence for several minutes before Prompto dared say something.

"So he's the head of security here?" He asks, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess not much gets by him, huh?"

"Petra's an asshole." Noct said flatly, not looking up from his phone. Nyx just snorted and tried to hide a smile.

"Watch it, your Highness." Drautos snapped. The captain then turned his glare on his subordinate. It didn't seem to faze Nyx much. "He works to protect the Citadel and it's peace. You owe him your respect. Both of you."

The reprimand didn't seem to take effect as Noctis met the captain's stern gaze in the rearview mirror. "He's got an inferiority complex a mile wide and uses his position to throw his weight around. He's a dick."

"You, uh, have to deal with him a lot?" Prompto asked. Better to hurry the conversation along before Noct really pissed off the captain.

Noctis shoves his phone back in his pocket. "You remember all that red tape bullshit and paperwork clearance you had to go through just so I could go to your house?" He jabs his thumb towards the rear window. "That was because of people like him."

"Oh." Prompto looks down at his feet, not knowing what else to offer. He also notices that Nyx is scowling now.

Somehow he doesn't think it's directed at them.

Noctis sullenly stared out his window. "He considers me to be a security risk. If Petra had his way, I would never have been able to live outside the Citadel."

"Regardless, " Drautos says, cutting their conversation short. "He's good at his job, so he's here to stay."

Noctis just gave a half-assed shrug in response.

Drautos sighed. "You aren't going to like all the people that serve beside you, your Highness. But, they are all qualified to be there."

Prompto noticed that Nyx was watching Noct through the rearview mirror. It was definitely an approving look.

Another silence passed, and Prompto twiddled his thumbs nervously. As they reached the parking lot, Noct slides his phone back into his pocket and asks, "So what was the reason you gave for re-entry?"

"Oh, isn't that obvious?." Prompto did a double take at the smug smirk that appeared on Drautos' face. "Transporting the Royal Brat, of course."

Nyx laughed aloud at that one, and unlike before, Drautos didn't bother trying to lecture him. Prompto flushed slightly at the sound. Noctis just threw his hands up, and leaned back in his seat. Noticing Prompto grinning at him, he gave him a sharp jab in the ribs in retaliation.

Prompto yelps and looks up to see Nyx watching them both in the mirror again.

So of course, he does the cheesiest thing possible. He raises both thumbs up and offers his widest smile.

And surprisingly, the man _smiles_ _back_.


	2. Chapter 2

Turns out that Drautos isn't the type of man to waste any time. Not like Prompto can say he's surprised. The minute they enter the Citadel, they're more or less marched to the conference room. The elegant entrance hall and it's decor passes them by in a blur.

 _First time here, and no time for sightseeing. What a crime._ He doesn't even try to snap a photo, knowing the captain would likely beat him with his own camera for slowing them down.

Once they reach it, Noctis is barely allowed a goodbye before he is lead away by Drautos. Prompto's more than a little sorry to see them go, but it's not like he's going to protest. Ideally, he knows Noct wanted to be there to see him be sworn in, but that just wasn't going to happen.He also knows that escorting a prince took far higher priority then taking the newbie to his first meeting.

 _I'm just the sidequest here, not the main mission._

On the bright side, Nyx is able to offer a single "Good luck." to him, before he too follows after his captain. That smile of his is the last thing Prompto sees as he enters the conference room.

The meeting is over in record time, and Prompto feels almost giddy. For all intents and purposes, he's a fully fledged Crownsguard member. The uniform itself lies in his arms, wrapped in a layer of plastic. The black leather inside is heavy and Prompto clutches at it like it's a lifeline. In truth, he doesn't even remember the speech Cor had given before handing it off to him. And he only vaguely recalls giving his assent to the various vows he swore to uphold. When he emerges from the conference room, Prompto could only just contain himself from bouncing off the walls.

He's surprised to see Noctis slouching on the other side of the door. He smiles a little when he sees what Prompto's holding. He gets close, and before Prompto realizes it, Noct's thrown an arm over his shoulder. "Congrats." he offers, but the pride in his smile says a lot more. It helps Prompto to calm down a little bit.

"It was only a matter of time!" he says airily, trying to shrug it off before his blush gave him away. The two share an awkward fist bump, once Prompto shuffles the bag over to his side.

He then cheerfully asks why Noct's there.

Noct's face darkens, and then he just shrugs. "Dad couldn't see me. Stuck in the same meeting as Ignis." He looks irritated, yet unsurprised. "He'll be stuck in meetings for the rest of the night actually."

"Oh, so that means..."

"I can either go home or stay here for the night, and try the same thing again tomorrow. Not that it will matter, as Dad will be dead on his feet then too. We'll have to cut it short either way."

Prompto doesn't push the subject. He's happy to keep Noct company in the meantime.

But, Noct doesn't want to let it go. Frustration is clear on his face, and Prompto can almost see what he's going to say next. "At this rate, Specs will have spent more time with Dad this month than I have."

The statement is unfairly true, and Prompto is left shambling for something reassuring to say. He fails to find anything, and the silence between them stretches. So instead, he tries to find another way to cheer this prince up.

"Hey, Noct?" Prompto lifts his camera as that dark head of hair inclines toward him. "You said I can take pictures in here, right?"

Noct looks surprised for a moment, then he grins. "Definitely."

The hall Noctis leads him to is filled with portraits, all of which are beautiful. Some depict the astrals in some epic poses, while the others show some of the ancient kings and queens of yore.

The hall is thankfully empty, with the upcoming peace talks having absorbed the attention of everyone at the Citadel. Of course, this leaves them ample opportunity to mess around until Prompto gets the best shots.

So he keeps his camera out the entire time, catching whatever pics he can, while he can. Noct kept trying to goad him into doing his usual poses in front of the paintings. But, that was a selfie Prompto wasn't about to risk. Noctis could make as many ridiculous faces as he wanted. He, on the other hand, didn't need to get himself kicked out on his first day here.

A hand claps down on his shoulder, and Prompto nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Well. Good to see you two aren't bored."

Okay, so maybe the hall wasn't as empty as he'd thought. Prompto notices Noctis trying to hide a smile. Which means he saw Nyx coming, and didn't say anything. _Jerk._

Noct smiles, with no trace of guilt. "Just trying to keep ourselves busy. Wouldn't do any good for us to be underfoot of the Council, right?"

Nyx's gaze flicks over the varied portraits of Lucian Kings and Queens. He doesn't look impressed. "You can do better than this, Highness. Any tourist can get pictures like these. Why not take him to where he can get some unique shots?"

Noctis cocks his head to the side. "What'd you have in mind?"

Nyx shrugs in return. "Warp training's always worth a sight."

It was weird to see how the Glaive training grounds differed from that of the Crownsguard's. For one, they were outdoors, yet still contained within the walls of the Citadel. Located on a plain field, unmarked by any equipment that he'd expect to see there.

Hanging on the outskirts of the field behind a wrought iron fence, Prompto fumbles with his camera. Noctis and Nyx are both leaning against the fence aside him. Prompto didn't really know what he was expecting when they lead him out there. Until Noct pointed out that he should be looking _up_.

So he does.

Minutes later, and the only thing Prompto can be certain of now is that each and every Glaive member is an adrenaline junkie. Because warp training looks terrifying, and there is _nothing_ that would make these people willingly go through it otherwise.

There's only two recruits making an attempt at it now, but gods do they leave an impact. It takes everything Prompto has to not turn his face away as they make their last minute landings. The worst part is that these two are clearly new at it. They land haphazardly, sprawling onto the ground. The looks on their faces as they narrowly miss being pulverized verge from fear to giddiness.

He'll take Crownsguard training any day over some insane, acrobatic leaps of faith from miles above the ground. Prompto turns to find both Nyx and Noct shamelessly grinning at the look of terror on his face. _Jerks._

"How do you do this here?" Prompto asks disbelievingly. "Let alone out in the field?"

Nyx just gestures blandly towards the field. "Call it our way of jumping through hoops to get stuff done."

 _Welcome to warp training, where we train by flinging ourselves off towers. Because we fear no god. Not even Drautos._

Speaking of, it seemed the captain was heading this way. There were several documents clutched in his hands. At seeing the trio in the grounds, Drautos rolled his eyes. He gave no comment, so they all took it as permission to carry on.

"Well?" Prompto looks up as Noct prods his shoulder. "You wanted a good photo op. See what you can do with that." He points in the direction of the two men, one having just done a pretty memorable pratfall.

"Will they mind?" Prompto asked dubiously.

Nyx laughed and shook his head. "Just get some impressive ones. See if you can't make those two feel better about themselves. If not... Well, it pays to be able to laugh at yourself, kid. We've all had to go through it." With that he gives Prompto a light push forwards.

So Prompto does. All the while trying to forget the warmth of Nyx's hand on his shoulder. He lifts his camera and gets to work.

He barely notices the captain occasionally pausing to look up at them.

Catching them in mid-warp was tricky, but he came out of it with more than a few good shots. After panning through them, he turns to Nyx expectantly. "Are you going to train with them?" he asks.

"Nah, this training course is only for the new recruits. To acclimate them to warping in general."

Noct's gaze is still fixed on the two recruits, but he nods all the same. "Yeah, it was sort of the same for me when I was younger."

"Once you've mastered warping, you're discouraged from using it anywhere but the field."

Without thinking Prompto asks, "Why?"

Noct stiffens at the question. Nyx's expression remains casual, but there's unease in the line of his shoulders. "Magic's a finite resource here." he says quietly.

The answer, and Noct's reaction are like a slap to the face. Of course. Prompto curls up a little inside at his own stupidity.

"That's never stopped you before, Ulric." The captain mutters, not looking up from the files. His deadpan comment brings what was an uneasy turn in conversation to a halt. Nyx looks as if he wants to retort, but he's cut off by the sound of footsteps.

Prompto looks up to see Ignis approaching, and can't help the relieved wave he gives him. Noct perks up at seeing him as well. The smile Ignis gives them in return only further brightens the mood. "Keeping ourselves busy, I see." he remarks.

Noct hops off the fence, walking towards Ignis. "So how'd the meeting go?"

"Due to the Council's refusal to compromise, it seems his Majesty found it prudent to dismiss the meeting entirely." Ignis smiles. "Of course, he's requested that your presence immediately."

"I'll take him." Drautos says suddenly, with Noct looking startled. He sets aside the files. "It seems we're heading in the same direction anyways. Standoff or not, I'm going to need a transcript of that meeting."

"Then I suppose I'll take Prompto home." Ignis said, watching the captain with an odd expression.

Drautos motions for Nyx to follow, who reluctantly pulls himself away from the fence. As he passes Prompto, he holds out his hand with a smile.

And when Prompto accepts the handshake, he does it with a hand that's tacky and puffy from nervous sweat. _Fuuuuuuuck._ Prompto reminds himself that the man is technically wearing gloves, and tries to contain his internal screaming.

If Nyx notices his turmoil, he doesn't give any indication. Prompto offers a shaky smile in return and his hand is released. He can hear Noct speaking with Ignis in the background, but none of the words really reach his brain. All Prompto does is return his hands to his sides, clenching the one that is still warm from another's touch.

He says his goodbyes to Noct, and then he, Drautos and Nyx are gone.

A fact that Prompto's ultimately grateful for, because he has _questions_ now. Ones that he's all too happy to pester Ignis with.


	3. Chapter 3

When Prompto questions Ignis about the Glaives, he tries not to be too obvious. He thinks he's mostly sucessful. Mostly. Ignis probably finds it odd that he's asking him about this now, rather than exulting over his induction into the Crownsguard ranks. If that's the case, he's nice enough not to mention it.

Despite this, he thinks Iggy's pretty indulging when he gives him what info he can. Unfortunately, it isn't anything he couldn't have looked up himself. So he stores what information Iggy does give him. He still finds it hard to believe that the Glaives have only been implemented when Noct's dad took the throne. They feel like a natural extension of the Crownsguard, and of the Citadel itself. Like they've always been there.

He's careful to keep his questions to a minimum, as he's too wary of asking specifics about Nyx himself. Noct's already caught wind of his attraction, or _an infatuation_ , as Iggy would have called it. Prompto doesn't know what to call it himself.

Point is, he doesn't need teasing from them both. He's teased enough, thank you very much.

Besides, whatever it is he's feeling now, he figures it'll go away soon.

* * *

Weeks pass, and _it_ doesn't go away. To Prompto, it seems more and more like obsession. Simply because time and distance have only made things worse. But, it has him finding more and more reasons to hang around the Glaive training grounds, the Citadel perimeters, and any one of Nyx's local hangouts.

The weekly meetings he has with the Crownsguard have given him an excuse to be at most of these places. With his camera in his guilty hands all the while. Overall, he's sure that the other Glaives don't mind his presence, if they even notice it. Or they ignore him, like Drautos largely does.

He's collected shots of several of the Glaive members now. Good ones too, from the compliments Noct's given him. Nyx was right. Warp training lends an easy opportunity for some very awesome shots, and Prompto's pretty happy with what he's produced.

It's the other photos that make him nervous with guilt. The unsolicited, random ones that he can only seem to focus on Nyx. He feels guilty about it now. He should have asked for permission. Noct said that none of them would mind, but... this was different. If he didn't like Nyx, it wouldn't be a problem. It wouldn't be unprofessional. They would just be more rad shots of some of the strongest people in Lucis.

But, he did. And that changed things. He doesn't know about Ignis, but he's pretty sure it's is obvious to Noct. But what's less obvious is how far he was willing to go for it. So really, it was only a matter of time before he started a more proactive approach. If he could get the courage up to talk to Noct, then he could do it again with Nyx.

And it was for that reason that he now found himself in one of the sub districts of Insomnia, following Nyx.

He didn't know what he was doing. But, hey, Prompto figured that applied to most things in his life, so he would go with it. Besides, if he dwelled on it too long, he would just lose his nerve. And right now, he really, really could not afford to do that.

He just couldn't approach Nyx at the Citadel. Not while he was training, and he'd already missed his first chance in the car. And every chance that had come after. He wanted to do it privately if possible. Or at the very least, not in front of Noct. Maybe that was stupid too. But, he didn't care enough to stop himself. Regardless of the risk of coming to this district.

Peering around, he soon realized that the class divide in Insomnia was more obvious here than anywhere else. Above them, well dressed Lucians wandered about bright shopping districts. But cross a few bridges, and head down the right couple of stairs, and you'd find yourself in the Lower Districts. People milled about, treating it more like a giant bazaar than anything else. With rapidly closing kiosks offering every type of spicy meal Prompto had grown to love. Meals he couldn't really find anywhere else.

But, also like most of Insomnia, this place didn't seem to favor outsiders. So he kept himself moving. Prompto knew he stuck out in a crowd of regular Insomnian folk. So, he couldn't imagine how he must look to this crowd. He was getting several stares already, and he wasn't going to stick around long enough to know if they were friendly or not.

In a weird way, it wasn't too different from being at the Citadel. Kinda like having to ignore the intimidating stares of the guards, and dismissive glances of passing council members. The streets here were just dirtier, and the public more distrustful rather than snobbish.

Prompto narrowly sidesteps some hulking dude leering at him, and quickens his pace. Soon, his search is rewarded, as he spots a familiar set of braids. And forgetting to keep his distance, he quickly hustled after the figure. At one point, Nyx must have noticed him, because he turned to look over his shoulder. Prompto nearly yelped aloud, but managed to dodge into the relative safety of an alley. It didn't seem like he'd been spotted, as when he looked back, Nyx was walking further away.

Prompto exhaled before burying his face in his hands. Stalking. He was stalking a Glaive. But, it wasn't stalking if you were just trying to get up the nerve to talk to him, right?

 _Six._ He knew it was wrong. If he was any kind of man, he would just walk up to Nyx and... And what? Was the man really showing interest back there at the Citadel, or was he just misreading it?

Who was he kidding? This was just something he needed to do.

Noct would be furious that he didn't bring him along, but Prompto just wasn't game to take a risk like that. And really, that was okay. He knew he'd get endless ribbing and teasing if he'd brought him along anyway. It was stupid enough coming here on his own. It would be selfish to risk any kind of scandal just because he wanted backup.

There would be no wingman aiding him today. If he wanted to fly, he would be doing it solo.

* * *

The hardest part of getting used to a new shift was finding the right time to _fucking_ eat.

Nyx could thank his new position as gatekeeper for throwing that schedule right to hell. At least it was temporary.

Well, it was temporary as long as he didn't keep pissing off the captain.

Looking around, he realized that most of the vendors were either shut down, or closing for the night. Not like it mattered. He was already heading to their usual hangout, and that was open until well past midnight. It was nothing like what they remembered from home, but so few places offered Galahdian fare. The last place that had even come close had been shut down due to health code violations ages ago.

And traditional or not, it had been a long shift and he needed to eat. Overcooked, and overpriced food it was.

Hefting a weather-beaten bag over his shoulder, Nyx continues down the street. At least, until a familiar flash of yellow catches in his peripheral. He doesn't fight the grin that crosses his face. Looks like Blondie was making a move.

He'd been seeing Prompto around the Citadel more and more often. This was only natural due to his induction to the Crownsguard. Of course they were bound to run into each other. But, he couldn't help noticing how often the blonde had his camera fixed on him. Or how often he would be staring at him when he thought Nyx wasn't looking.

Now, there's obviously a right way and a wrong way to flirt. But, Nyx couldn't say he minded this much.

He purposely slowed down in his stride to let the little guy catch up. It also gave him the benefit of keeping an eye on him.

And, he has to give Prompto credit. The blonde knew how to tail someone. Nyx loses sight of him at least twice before he finally reaches his destination.

He walks up to see that Libertus and Pelna are already there, leaving Luche and Crowe conspicuously absent. With Luche, this was normal. Being the right hand of the Captain meant he had harsher work hours then the rest of them. With Crowe, however... Well, she usually wasn't this late. But, Libertus didn't look concerned, so there was probably nothing to worry about.

Nyx waved at Pelna as he sat down, which the man returned. Libertus just raised his glass in greeting, looking bored out of his skull. They're not bored for long.

The minute Nyx sets his bag down, he hears soft footsteps pass him by. Another flash of yellow confirms his suspicions. Prompto's grabbed a table at the furthermost corner of the dive.

While Libertus and Pelna, masters of subtlety, stare at the poor guy the whole time. Thankfully, the blonde busies himself with grabbing a meal from the bar, and doesn't notice.

"We should have made a bet." Libertus says quietly.

"Why?" Pelna asks, "We both would have lost. Neither of us thought he'd get up the nerve to do this before the week ended."

"Shut up." Nyx tells them both, knowing it won't settle anything. Pelna snorts, and Libertus just grunts in reply.

"Where's Crowe?" Nyx asks. He never said he was subtle either, especially when it came to changing the subject.

"Attending some last minute briefing with the Captain. She texted me not twenty minutes ago, so she'll be here soon."

"Sooner than _you_ thought, anyway." a voice chirps from behind, and they look up to see the woman in question walk over and grab a seat. She pats Libertus on the back as she does so.

Nyx waits for the inevitable, as Crowe spots the tiny blonde.

"Is that... who I think it is?" She tilts her head and Nyx sighs.

* * *

"So, he's been following you?" Crowe asked slowly. Nyx nodded, careful not to look in the blonde's direction.

"Thinks he's being stealthy about it, too." Libertus added as he lowered his glass.

Crowe grinned. "That's adorable."

Libertus gave a brief nod. "Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus." The tone in which he said it had Nyx glaring at him.

Pelna nodded. "We think he's working up the nerve to talk to Nyx." He then frowned. "First time he's followed Nyx to the bar, though."

Nyx gives Crowe a pointed look. "Don't stare. He's skittish enough as it is."

"Skittish?" Crowe snorted. "Are we talking about a potential date or a puppy, here?"

Libertus threw up his hands, nearly sloshing his drink onto the table. "He follows him like a damn lost puppy." Nyx winced at his volume.

Pelna lightly knocks his glass against his own, getting Nyx's attention. "Maybe advise him not to come here next time? The guy's risking getting mugged, Nyx."

"He's Crownsguard. He's not exactly easy prey."

Pelna watched the blonde take his food back to his seat. A distant look had come into his eyes. "No, but he _looks_ like he is. You know he's a member, so that's all you see. But everyone else here just sees some pretty Lucian butting in where he doesn't belong."

"Aw, you think he's pretty too?" Crowe teased and Pelna mock punched her arm in response.

"He's not Lucian." Libertus said flatly. Three head swiveled to look back at him.

"Really?" Nyx asked. "You can tell that just by looking?"

"Lucians don't come in blonde." Libertus shrugged, before taking another swig. "If he's from Insomnia, then it's dyed."

Pelna squinted. "It looks pretty natural to me."

"Nyx can find out for us." Crowe suggested, waggling her eyebrows as she leaned back in her seat. Nyx resisted the urge to topple her.

"If I had to guess," Libertus mused, "I'd put my money on Tenebrae."

"He doesn't sound like he's from Tenebrae." Nyx lets slip. He almost swears aloud when he sees Libertus raise an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, so you have spoken to him, then?"

"Guess he's not tailing you for nothing." Crowe waggled a finger at him reproachfully as she laughed. "Shame on you, leading him on like that."

Nyx only shrugged.

"Well then, Ulric. Go invite him over."

"Why? So you can eat him alive?"

Crowe scowled. "That's your job."

* * *

A hour passed, with the drinks steadily flowing. Luche still hadn't shown up, and neither Nyx or Prompto had bothered to make a move on the other.

Nyx could feel the judgmental stares of his friends. It seemed the blonde wasn't the only shy one here, and clearly the alcohol hadn't bolstered Nyx's nerve.

Crowe watched the kid nervously accept another order before returning to his seat. After a moment of silent contemplation, she turned back to Nyx. "He's got nice arms." she offered.

"No kidding." Libertus elbowed Nyx, only to get punched in the shoulder. "Nyx here's been attending that particular gun show all night."

"Seriously, though. You should invite him over." Crowe's expression went from teasing to serious so fast, Nyx had to wonder if she was as inebriated as she seemed. "He followed you all the way out here. The least you can do is talk to him."

"Why not let him work up the nerve himself?"

"Look, if you don't, I will." Crowe's tone did not allow for doubt.

"Fine. Fine." Nyx rose to his feet... only to abruptly walk over to the bar instead to get another drink instead. This earned a roar of laughter from Libertus and Pelna both, while Crowe just snorted in disgust.

"Oh, that's it." Crowe wobbled as she stood up, but was pulled back down by Libertus.

"You're drunk."

Crowe waved a hand flippantly, and escaped his grip. "Of course. We all are."

"Don't do it." begged Pelna.

"Too late!" she sang as she made her way over to the table. The blonde looked up from his bowl to see her incoming with wide blue eyes.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who's read and followed so far! Your feedback is always awesome to read! I hope to have the next chapter up soon.**


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